bookshop of chinatown
by shiirojasmine
Summary: Allen was perched, hidden in the leaves as he stared at a very beautiful, succulent being making its dazed and confused way through the forest. Arekan, Lucky,CrossxLinali
1. Prologue

Bookshop of Chinatown

Prologue:

Kanda scowled as the rain thoroughly drenched him, his thin clothes leaving little to the imagination and his hair sticking to his face, back, and shoulders haphazardly. He ran for cover-inside a nearby store. It was rather stupid for him, a youth of Japanese descent, to be in the middle of Chinatown in Manhattan. If Linali didn't throw a fit-he was currently residing at her house due to certain circumstances-he wouldn't be stuck here, caught in the rain, miserable as some stray. He looked up, his eyes blinking the rain from his eyes as he looked for the street sign. _Seventh Street_, it read. He was puzzled, never having heard of such a street on the map. He looked behind him through the window, peering inside, seeing endless rows of books, one of the few cook stores that actually sold only books. _A bookshop?_ The Chinese characters said "welcome", and he stepped in, the bell ringing with clarity inside. A small figure of a man stepped into his vision. There were dark bags, and wrinkles underneath those bags, and the skin was that of a deathly pallor that made the old man seem foreboding and all around unfriendly. "Is there a book you're looking for?" the old man rasped.

Kanda scanned round, and said, "Not… in particular." The old man opened his mouth in surprise.

"Curious," mumbled the old man, "curious. They all come for a certain book." Kanda didn't comprehend what the old man meant, but didn't care. The scent of ink, subtle from so many years, permeated the air and gave a warm, kind atmosphere to the shop despite the unwelcoming old man. He wandered among the tall columns of books, sometimes stopping to glance at all the old titles. There were classics, and some he had never heard before, and a section for children-but unlike the picture books that one would find ordinarily in other places, they contained many words, and the pictures were beautifully detailed, practically works of art. It was then he found those piercing pair of sharp, dark eyes boring through his back, and he turned, annoyed, and a little wary.

"What's so interesting about me?" he growled unintentionally. The old man shook his head, disappearing behind the much taller counter. Promptly, a book fell from the top shelf, hitting him on the back of his head. He gasped, hissing, and then rubbing the sore area as he reached for the leather bound book. It was rather beautiful: the leather was a deep red, though faded, may have once been blood red; and the gold was dabbled here and there, running up through the bind in leafy vines, soft and shimmer-y in the dim lighting. Kanda flipped through the yellowing pages, the inked words standing out in an elegant calligraphy. He turned to the first page, patting the dust away from the floor, and sitting as he was engrossed from reading the first page.

_Rabi stared up into the sky, the moon was bright and full. He heard the gentle, quiet padding of his younger "brother". "Rabi," the newborn prompted. "You should be more careful What if you get caught?" The redhead shook his head, laughing._

"_Silly Allen. You know I'll be fine," Rabi said, tucking his arms underneath his neck as he leaned back into the soft earth, closing his eyes. Allen sighed, scooting over to his long-time friend_

Kanda blinked uncertainly. Did the words just gleam? He flipped to the next page, the black words shone bright as a startled gasp escaped him. The light, a blinding white, engulfed the room, and he found it impossible to escape.


	2. Feeding

Bookshop of Chinatown

Chapter One: Feeding

Allen sighed at the easiness of Rabi, and stood up to brush dust off his black leather pants. "I'm feeling a little hungry. I'm going to hunt," he said. Rabi half-heartedly waved his hand in acknowledgement, not opening his bright green eye. The full moon wasn't too much of a problem when it came to "hunting", but sometimes he'd rather not see the faces some humans made as he would descend up them, baring his fangs threateningly. The stars twinkled brightly tonight, and he groaned as a pang of hunger hit him. He should be used to this by now, after nearly five years-even though Rabi fondly called him a fledgling.

He sniffed the air, different scents of animals hitting him from different sides-mainly rabbits-but there was one scent that intrigued him. Frankly, he was confused. It smelled similar to a human, but also a bit like a cat, but either way, the newness of the scent excited him as he quickly ran, silent.

Allen was perched, hidden in the leaves as he stared at a very beautiful, succulent being make its dazed and confused way through the forest. The creature's skin was a pale, milky white, different from his own ivory, colorless skin, and appeared very fragile. The human-like creature's eyes flitted across the scenery, growing more alarmed by the minute. "Where am I?" Allen heard the creature mumble. He leaned forward, interested. Allen wondered if the creature's blood was as sweet as it smelled, and how the pliant looking flesh would taste beneath his lips. "Is someone there?" the voice, though hesitant, was rough with hostility. Allen smirked. So the creature wasn't as delicate as he thought. He slid down from the tree, landing gracefully in front of the male creature. The male watched him in an uninterested, and only his slanted dark eyes belied his un-surety.

"Just little ole me," Allen purred, circling the other one, taking note of the two triangular, black-furred appendages that decorated the male's head, resisting the strong urge to reach out and pet them. The other male made to move forward, and the albino blocked him. "What's your name?" he asked innocently.

"None of your business," was the immediate reply. _He certainly follows the rule "don't talk to strangers",_ he thought, amused, though he inwardly frowned, but continued to smile cheerfully. _I guess I'll actually have to work to eat tonight,_ he thought, disdainful of the idea.

"The moon's rather bright tonight, isn't it?" Allen said off-handedly.

The other male looked up, admiring the brightness. "Yeah," he said suspiciously. "I see that…" Allen locked eyes with him; his normally grey eyes were now a bright crimson. He could see the male try, futilely, to look away, frustrated and fearful when he couldn't. Allen slipped his arms around the male's waist, pulling him close as the hot red blood in other's veins sang sweetly in his ears. He could feel the pounding of the other's heart speed up wildly at his embrace against his chest, and pulled him tighter as he buried his face in the youth's nape. The scent of the life liquid, so strong and pungent, sent him wild, and it took all of his control to not drink the young man empty right then and there. Allen sunk his fangs, the sharpness parting the soft flesh easily and quickly. The other cried out softly in alarm and pain.

Allen smiled against the other's neck as the blood leaked into his mouth, and he bit deeper; he swallowed the rushing blood rapidly in pleasure. He pulled away, the young male in his arms paler with lidded eyes. _He looks like he's about to pass out. _Allen brushed the long, straight bangs out of the male's eyes and gingerly stroked the dark, velvety cat-like ears. He stared at the puncture wounds longingly, wishing to partake in that sweet nectar again, but shook his head of the thoughts. The other male leaned into his chest with exhaustion. Allen noticed the strange attire this male wore and wondered where this person was from as he slung him onto his back, humming that maybe when the male recovered from his sleep, could drink the blood again.

"Rabi, why don't we head back?" Allen suggested, almost bypassing the older "cold one". Rabi sat up, staring at interest at the figure splayed over his younger brother's back.

"Who's he?" he asked with curiosity. He walked over closely, observing the dark-haired male's face. "A were-cat. You don't see that too often these days," he said thoughtfully. Allen shrugged. Rabi looked at Allen with an incomprehensible expression. "Don't tell me he's your _cantate_?" Allen smiled.

"I suppose he is." Allen sighed in content. "You know how much I love sweets… and he has the sweetest blood I've ever tasted…" Rabi shook his head.

"You should've kept eating and killing. What if when he wakes up, he reveals our identity?" Rabi said sternly.

Allen snorted. "Says the guy that pines after a _were-wolf _of all people." The redhead frowned, but knew that the newborn spoke the truth.

"Alright, alright, I was just thinking of what would be best for us. Besides, I don't love Tyki, I'm just his friend."

"Sure, and you didn't try to kiss me when we first met." Allen ignored Rabi's protesting as he adjusted the brunet on his back.

**Kanda…**

Kanda awoke in unfamiliar surroundings. He couldn't tell if it morning out, for the windows were drawn tightly closed over the curtains. He drew the blankets away from his body, swinging his legs unhurriedly over the edge of the bed. The house was dimly lit, candles flickering in the corner on a small nightstand. "Oh, you're awake," a brotherly, slurred voice stated. Kanda looked towards the other person, wondering if this man had kidnapped him, and everything starting from the moment he read the book had been a nightmare. "Where am I?"

The redhead seemed to hesitate before answering with a straight face. "You're at my house. Apparently, you got into a fight and passed out due t' blood loss." On cue, Kanda felt a dull ache in the junction between his neck and shoulder covered with some gauze, and he rubbed it as soothingly as possible. "D'ya want breakfast, not that we have much t' eat, but hey, I'm offerin'." Kanda grunted. The redhead nodded. "This way to the kitchen." He followed the stranger, tense and ready to counter as soon as the other one turned on him. "I'm Rabi, by the by."

He was ushered into an old, sturdy seat that groaned underneath his weight. Rabi rummaged through the cabinets, smiling in triumph as he pulled a plastic bag of bread and a jar of what looked like honey, and another jar of strawberry jam. "Oh, hi Allen. Do you want something?"

The youth that was called Allen rolled his eyes. "You _know_ we're not supposed to eat that, but you bother to ask anyway."

Rabi grinned. "Aw, Allen! Everyone knows rules are meant to be _broken_!" Allen took a seat by Kanda, flashing a welcoming smile.

"Hello," Allen said. _Wait, isn't this the guy from my dream last night?_ Kanda shivered subtly as he paled, and scooted his chair over a couple inches away from the albino. _If you don't answer him, he'll ignore you._

"You bit me last night." So much for ignoring him. He couldn't really say "last night". There was no light penetrating from the outside in, so he couldn't possibly know if it was "last night".

Allen stared at him, confusion flitting across his face. "What are you talking about?" Puzzled, Kanda turned his dark eyes to the tabletop. So was it all just a dream then? "Anyway, what's a were-cat doing in these parts of the forest?"

"Were-cat?" Kanda repeated. "What on earth are you talking about?" _I'm human._

Allen leaned over, reaching for him. Kanda flinched as the youth grabbed hold of… something on his head. "I'm talking about these," he said, rubbing gently. As the motions moved on and on, Kanda felt as if he would melt from delight of the soft, gentle touch. _Wait… why am I thinking such stupid thoughts? _He really didn't know anything. For all he knew, his entire life could've been a dream, and this could be reality.


	3. A Visit from the Remaining

Bookshop of Chinatown

Chapter Two: A Visit from the Remaining

The softly glowing white moon was waning, and that was a good thing, since he didn't have to worry about Tyki leaving anyway time soon tonight. The were-wolf, currently human for the next few weeks, nipped his nape playfully. "Hey, since when do were-wolves do that?" Rabi said as he was cradled lovingly against his lover's chest. "It's vampires that suck blood."

"You of all people should know I wasn't going for blood." Rabi smirked against Tyki's chest.

"Up for another round?" Rabi said lasciviously, his eyes shrouded with lust.

Tyki pulled him down, trapping him under. "Must you ask?" His hand trailed down the redhead's cheek as the other slowly unbuttoned the front of Rabi's shirt. "Won't your other one be jealous?"

His red bangs fell into his eyes. "Allen understands." Rabi smiled. "Besides, I don' love 'im any less."

**Next day afternoon…**

Allen once again made sure all curtains were drawn closed, keeping out the sunlight. Contrary to human belief, sunlight didn't bother him at all, and instead, it made him all the more attractive to his prey, but no one of his kin had been so bold to hunt in the daylight when humans were so large in numbers. Earlier just when the last of the stars were starting to disappear, he had sighed when Rabi limped back into the house with a dreamy expression on his face, sometimes marred by quick flashes of pain. Rabi had no problem sitting down after a few minutes, and was happily chugging some reserves of blood, disguised as bottles of thick, red wine. "Rabi, that's supposed to be for emergencies only," he said with disapproval.

"So _you're _the older brother now?" Rabi laughed. "It doesn't really matter. I collected some more the night before."

"Really? How come I didn't smell anything?"

"You were taking a nap." Rabi set the bottle down, licking his lips and sighed happily, patting his stomach. The kitchen was, in Allen's opinion, the best room in the house-warm, and softly smelling a rose-scented candles that were lit all night and sometimes day. Rabi paused. "Emma's coming over today-with Dom."

Allen stared at him. "I didn't receive a letter from her."

"Oh yeah." Rabi smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I for got t' give the letter t' ya after I read it." He shook the contents out of a small, decorated wooden box, dumping out all the letters from weeks before and handed one less crinkled parcel to Allen. Allen carefully unfolded the wrinkled letter, able to smell his mother's faint perfume of lilies on the old paper, and read it. He could hear his mother's voice in his head and smiled, wondering how tall his younger brother would be now.

"She says she'll be here at 2:00." Allen glanced at the grandfather clock. "In other words, five minutes." His mother had always been a very prompt woman, and she nothing less than on time. Three precise knocks could be heard outside the door. Rabi stood up to open it to a slight crack, making sure it was actually Mrs. Walker, and graciously opened it all the way with a "good afternoon, Ma'am, boy".

Emma smiled warmly, nodding. Her eyes turned kindly to Allen. "As stunning as five years ago," she said tenderly. There was no sign that she was in mourning for Mana, and Allen felt relieved about that. Dom stood awkwardly, a few feet behind her, glancing at Allen now and again. "Dom, don't be shy. After all, this _is _your brother." Dom stiffened, walking up and cautiously hugging his older brother's middle. Allen was a little sad, though he wouldn't admit it, that his own brother mistrusted him.

"Hi Allen," Dom said.

"Ditto."

Emma sat down in one of the chairs, brushing a strand of her shimmering brown hair behind her ear. Rabi always said that Allen looked very much like her, with the same gentle smile-when he was being "Dark Allen"-and shining, watery grey eyes. Dom was rather similar to both of them; only he had inherited his father's dark colored hair. "Would you like something to drink and eat, Mother?"

"It's not yet tea time, but I do fancy a cup of English tea for now."

"If you wish, Mother." Allen filled the teapot with boiled water, adding teabags for the flavor as he brought out dainty jars of sugar and cream. "It should be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you sit down, Dom?" Dom sat down at his brother's suggestion, his eyes following Allen's every move. Allen was a little disturbed by this, and unnerved. The sweet boy from five years ago now looked almost exactly as he did back when he was fifteen. It was only a matter of minutes as the tea finished brewing. Allen skillfully poured five cups of tea, setting them gently on the table.

"Allen, there are only four of us here," his mother said.

"Someone's stayin' 'ere wit' us," Rabi said, gulping the tea down quickly.

"Who?" Dom asked, trying to start up some conversation, albeit he was unsure if it was alright speaking to someone that could easily kill him.

Rabi frowned. "Quit lookin' at me like I'm gonna eat ya. Anyways, we saw 'im outside in the forest, so Allen decided to bring 'im back to the house."

"Has he woken up yet?" Emma quietly sipped at her tea, and set it down, adding creamy milk and numerous cubes of sugar-one of the many traits she shared with her oldest son. Allen did the same, grabbing one sugar cube more than her. Rabi's tea, however, was _overflowing_, the reddish tea spilling onto the saucer beneath it. Soft footsteps above them thumped over and down the stairs, with Kanda appearing.

"Good afternoon. Did you sleep well?" Allen said, offering him one of his sweet smiles. Kanda responded with a suspicious glance, and Allen handed him the porcelain cup and saucer. "Try the tea, it tastes exquisite." Kanda shrugged, wrapping two fingers around the slim arm of the teacup, cautiously sipping the hot liquid. "No, Kanda. You have to add in the cream and sugar first." Kanda rolled his eyes, adding sparsely said objects and trying it again.

"Does he speak English? He looks Oriental," Emma commented.

"Mother, Orientals are far from barbarians. He knows English quite well."

"Oh, he's not a very talkative young man then." She eyed Kanda strangely. "My, is that a… a tail?"

Allen smiled. Rabi was thoughtful. "I believe he's a were-cat." Kanda seemed annoyed, perhaps because they were talking about him as if he weren't in the same room at all.

Emma and Dom stared at Rabi blankly. "But aren't were-cats more…. native to the Northern areas around here? And what is he, Chinese Japanese? I don't think such species exist there."

"What' so interesting about were-cats?" Kanda interrupted. "I've never seen one, and frankly, even after I grew these weird… _things_… I still don't think they're that interesting." It was however, a big deal to him that he found some way to quickly remove them.

Rabi frowned. "Strange. You don't know? Were-cats… are kind of what we would call… clairvoyant. They know, and see things that humans could never see."_So I can see the future now? Wow, I'm a freak_, Kanda thought grimly, drinking the sweet tea again. "They're very valuable in society, and are often captured for their powers. It's quite sad really."


	4. Arrival and Acceptance

Bookshop of Chinatown  
Chapter Three: Arrival and Acceptance

Bookman sat with good posture for an old man, waiting patiently for his next "customer" as he watched the calming pelting of rain. Humans came to his shop, usually not by will, he'd admit. He loved his shop, a shop that had been passed on from generation to generation, from one Bookman to another, the contents, not the store itself.

He sighed, mainly in grievance. The only thing in life he has regretted so far was having no heirs to pass on this great treasure of his to, though speaking of which, he thought of the redhead he had met in one of the books. The book itself didn't call out to him, but the redhead was interesting enough even though he was but a child then.

The bell to the shop rang softly, and Bookman glanced up through his beady black eyes. A young girl with pigtails and a pale face stepped in, bewildered at her surroundings. He chuckled quietly. She was the same as the others. All of them, destined for something completely out of this world, were all drawn to his shop. "Welcome," he called out in a raspy voice.

The girl turned to him, blinking her eyes in mildly surprised and confused manner. "Um… where am I?"

Bookman snorted. "What does it look like, girl? This is a bookshop."

She glanced toward the window's direction. "Do I have to buy something to stay in here, or will you kick me out if I don't?"

Bookman smiled faintly. "No… as long as you find a book you're… interested in." Everybody that came in found a book that "suited" them.

The girl nodded, uncertainly returning his smile.

She disappeared into the large stacks of books, and it didn't take long for him to hear a shriek and see a blinding yellow light.

-----

Linali screeched, frightened. Who wouldn't be, being sucked into a book? Alright, alright, think, think. There must be a reason for all this happening, she thought, pressing her forehead against her palm. Nope, nothing.

She sighed, sitting down. This doesn't look like anywhere like home, she thought mournfully. Where's Kanda? She frowned, thinking about the fact he had been more than two hours late coming home with the groceries.

"Hey… what are _you_ doing out here?" Linali stared up into a brilliant green eye, suddenly wary.

"That's what I'd like to know." She tried to cut back on the irritation and worry in her voice. She looked around. "…where am I, anyway?" The young boy cocked an eyebrow.

"Strange," the boy mumbled. "Two foreigners in the same week." He looked down at her, helping her up. "You can stay for the night if you want. The forest around here really isn't the one place you want to be around this late."

She thanked him; though everyone knew that the one big rule was don't trust strangers. She didn't think of that though, feeling heavily drowsy and all too compliant.

-----

"You're late," Allen complained as a sheepish Rabi returned, with Kanda following closely behind.

"Sorry Allen, but I saw this girl and I just couldn't-"

"Not another girlfriend, riiiiiiight?" Allen said with narrowed eyes, looming over him darkly.

"Of course not!" Rabi hastily stuttered. An Asian girl appeared from behind him, staring.

""Linali? What… how did you get here?"

Allen looked between the two of them. "You two know each other?"

"My brother has custody over him right now, but the reason why didn't come back home with the groceries yet is… this… right?" She leaned over, rubbing the fluffy black ears between her thumbs and fingers. He shook her hands off, but for the slightest fraction of a second, the corners of his mouth turned upwards.

"Linali…" She looked at Kanda.

"Yeah…?"

"Komui is going to freak out over this."

Linali paled. "Ugh, you're right. Who knows what he might do to the house… not to mention every eligible (and possibly non-eligible) guy in the city…"

"What? What does 'Komui' do?" Rabi asked, interested.

"He is completely obsessed with his little sister and (too) often has panic induced because of his sister complex," Kanda answered nonchalantly.

"It's not a pretty sight. Usually I have to knock him out," she added, giggling.

Allen laughed. "Sounds fun," he said wistfully. A family that wasn't uncomfortable with one's… condition… would've been _ideal._

"Trust me, it's not," Kanda glared. "_You_haven't been nearly _married_ to his drill."

"Oh…" Allen said, understanding. He could empathize with that, having been pounded on the head a couple more times than he preferred with his master's hammer.

-----

"So did you have fun theses last few nights?"

Tyki froze, the question catching him off guard, and he turned to face his cousin, smiling, forced.

"What on earth are you talking about, Rhode," he replied.

Rhode snorted, sliding off the banister of the stairs. "Don't lie to me, Tyki. I can smell him on you." He sighed.

"Nothing ever gets pass you does it," he grumbled.

She shook her head in disapproval. "Tyki…" she sighed. "If you were going to have a passionate affair with a vampire, the least you could do was _tell_ me!" she whined. He gaped at her. She didn't call Rabi a bloodsucker.

"Did I miss something while I was gone?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. She was the apple of the Millennium Duke's (strange and frightening) eyes, the princess above all royalty of Noahs among werewolves. Unlike the others in the clan, while she never really brought up her opinion of vampires, it wasn't really all too clear whether or not she was in favor with making peace with them either.

"Of course not, but if you must not, I don't hate vampires."

"But you don't exactly support our relationship." She shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter much to me as long as you, my dear family, is enjoying yourself." He was a little surprised to hear this from the physically younger girl, and gave her a quick hug.

"This does mean that you won't tell the Duke, yes?" He inquired. She grinned.

"What put that notion into your head? I'm not _that_ heartless." Her Cheshire grin widened. "So, Tyki, details. Let's hear them." He simply laughed as he sat across from her, sinking into the leather armchair in front of the warm hearth.


End file.
